Holder for paint buckets



April 21 1959 P.YV. O"HALLORAN HOLDER FOR PAINT BUCKETS 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed May 2, 1956 INVENTOR' PATRICK v. Q'HALLORAN.

ATTORNEY April 5 P. v. O'HALLORAN 2,883,134

HOLDER FOR PAINT BUCKETS Filed May 2, 1956 v 2 Sheet s-Sheet/2 FIG. 3

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INVENTOR PATRICK V. Q'HALLQRAN W mum}.

ATTORNEY nomical to manufacture.

United States Patent 2,883,134 HOLDER FOR PAINT BUCKETS Patrick V. OHalloran, Nutley, NJ. Application May 2, 1956, Serial No. 582,118 1 Claim. (Cl. z4s-210 This invention relates to a holder or support for paint buckets, and the like.

A primary object of the invention is to provide an improved and simplified device for supporting a paint bucket upon a ladder. I

A further object is to provide a device of the abovementioned character which is adjustable to hold the bucket level or upright, regardless of the inclination of the ladder, within relatively wide limits.

Another object is to provide a paint bucket holder adapted to engage the rungs of a ladder for support, and readily shiftable from one run to another, for adjusting the height of the device, without the necessity of making any adjustments prior to changing the position of the device upon the ladder.

Another object of the invention is to provide a device for supporting a paint bucket upon a ladder, and adjustable to permit the use of the device upon either side of the ladder and allowing the device to receive the side rail of a single ladder section, or overlapping side rails of a pair of extension ladder sections.

A still further object is to provide a paint bucket holder which will securely hold or support the bucket near the outer side of either side rail of the ladder in a highly convenient position, the device being extremely sturdy and durable in construction, highly simplified, and eco- Other objects and advantages of the invention will be apparent during the course of the following description.

In the accompanying drawings, forming a part of this application, and in which like numerals are employed to designate like parts throughout same,

Figure 1 is a perspective View of the paint bucket support shown mounted upon one side of a ladder in full lines and shown in broken lines upon the opposite side of the ladder, I

Figure 2 is an exploded perspective view of the paint bucket holder,

Figure 3 is a side elevation of the same, partly broken away,

Figure 4 is a vertical section taken substantially on line 4-4 of Figure 3, parts in elevation,

Figure 5 is a transverse cross section taken on line 55 of Figure 3, parts omitted,

Figure 6 is a front elevation of the holder applied to overlapping side rails of a pair of extension ladder sections, parts in section,

Figure 7 is a transverse section taken substantially on line 7--7 of Figure 6.

In the drawings, where for the purpose of illustration is shown a preferred embodiment of the invention, the numeral 10 designates an inner ladder bracket which is L-shaped in cross section, providing a pair of webs 11 and 12, arranged at right angles, and preferably integrally joined, as shown. The L-shaped bracket 10 is somewhat elongated, longitudinally of the webs 11 and 12, as indicated. The web 11 is provided in its free longitudinal edge and near its opposite ends with a pair of relatively large openings 13, providing on the web 11 at its oppo' side ends a pair of transverse arms 14 having laterally inwardly directed extensions 15 at their free ends, as shown. The arms 14 and 15 constitute hook-like elements at the opposite ends of the bracket 10 for engagement with the rungs of a ladder, as will be more fully described. The hook-like elements of the bracket 10 preferably have their inner corners rounded at 16 for firm engagement with the rungs of the ladder. The openings 13 also form upon the web 11 a central transverse portion 17, adapted to bear against the adjacent face of the ladder side rail.

The web 12 is provided near and inwardly of its ends with a pair of transverse elongated adjusting slots 18, as shown, for a purpose to be described.

An outer companion L-shaped bracket 19 is provided,

preferably of the same length and general shape as the bracket 10, and including webs 20 and 21, arranged at right angles and integrally joined, as shown. The web 21 is preferably of the same width as the web 12, and is similarly provided near its ends with transverse slots 22, which may be identical with the slots 18 and adapted to register therewith when the webs 12 and 21 are arranged in overlapping relation in assembly, as shown.

The web 20 which is disposed opposite the web 11, in

engagement or near engagement with the outer face of facilitate the angular adjustment of the paint bucket with.

the ladder side rail in assembly, is provided a substantial distance inwardly of its opposite ends with a pair of arcuate slots 23, as shown. These slots are concentric with a central opening 24 formed through the web 20 at its transverse and longitudinal center, and the slots 23 respect to the ladder, as will be more fully described.

A basket or receptacle for the paint bucket is provided, and this basket preferably comprises a pair of U-shaped straps 25 and 26, as shown, having lower horizontal sections 27 and upstanding vertical portions or legs 28, integral therewith. The straps 25 and 26 are arranged at right angles and cross, Figure 2., and their lower sections 27 cross and are preferably secured together at their longitudinal centers by a rivet 29, or by welding or the like. about the tops of the vertical portions 28, preferably exteriorly thereof, and frame 30 is preferably rigidly secured to the portions 28, as by rivets 31, or the like. The completed basket is quite rigid in construction and well adapted to support a generally cylindrical paint can or bucket, as shown.

The vertical portion or leg 28 of the basket adjacent the web 20 of outer bracket 19 is provided with three longitudinally spaced openings 32, adapted to register in assembly with the slots 23 and central opening 24.

In assembly, the webs 12 and 21 are arranged in overlapping relation, and the slots 18 and 22 register and receive outwardly directed bolts 33, carrying flat washers 34 and winged nuts 35, outwardly of the web 12, as shown. The leg 28 is arranged outwardly of the web 20 and the openings 32 register with the slots 23 and opening 24, and outwardly directed bolts 36 engage through the registering slots and openings, and carry flat washers 37 and winged nuts 38, at their outer ends and at the inner side of the leg 28, Figure 4. Additional flat washers 39 are preferably mounted upon the bolts 36 between the web 20 and the adjacent leg 28, Figure 4, to compensate for the thickness of the frame 30. All of the bolts 33 and 36 preferably have relatively thin or fiat heads, as shown, so as to occupy a minimum space between the bracket wehs 20 and 21 and the adjacent faces of the ladder side rail, Figures 4 and 5.

In use, with the parts assembled, :as above described, the brackets 10 and 19 are adjusted laterally by means of the slots 18 and 22, and associated elements, so as A rectangular frame 30 extends,

, 3 to be a proper distance apart for receiving a ladder side rail as shown in Figures 1 and 5, or a pair of overlapping ladder side rails of an extension ladder, as in F1gures 6 and 7. The winged nuts 35 are securely tightened, and I the brackets 10 and 19 Will remain in their selected adjusted positions, The thus adjusted brackets 10 and 19 form a substantially U-shaped supporting member, Figure 5, which is now placed bodily over one side rail of the ladder, Figure 1, and the uppermost hook-like element 14-15 engages over a selected rung of the ladder, as shown, to support the device. The bracket webs 11 and 20 lie close to the corresponding faces of the ladder side rail, and the web 21 also lies close to the ladder side rail, and there is no possibility of the brackets rocking or moving relative to the ladder when the device is mounted in the manner shown in Figure l.

The winged nuts 33 may be loosened and the basket may be pivoted about the axis of the center bolt 36 to adjust the basket so that it will be level regardless of the angle of inclination of the ladder. The upper and lower bolts 36 move in the slots 23 to permit this adjustment and to define the limits of the angular adjustment of the basket with respect to the brackets 10 and 19. The Winged nuts 38 are again tightened, and the basket and paint bucket will be securely held against further turning movement, and the basket will hold the paint bucket level as desired. The arrangement of the slots 23 and their bolts 36 a substantial distance away from the central pivot bolt 36 greatly increases the holding or securing frictional action of the bolts with respect to the web 20, so that the supporting basket cannot turn or pivot once the nuts 38 are tightened.

A novel feature of the device resides in the fact that once the brackets 10 and 19 are properly adjusted relative to each other and the nuts 35 tightened, the entire assembly may be lifted from one rung of the ladder to another selected rung without any additional adjustments, and it is merely necessary to engage the uppermost hooklike element 14-15 over another selected rung of the ladder. If the angle of the ladder remains unchanged, it is not necessary to touch the nuts 38 when moving the assembly from one rung to the next.

Another feature is the arrangement whereby the device may be used upon either side of the ladder, as shown in Figure 1. To do this, or to change the assembly from the right hand side to the left hand side, Figure 1, the upper and lower bolts 36 are removed from the assembly, and the entire basket is inverted 180 degrees with respect to the brackets 10 land 19, by pivoting the basket upon the central bolt 36. The upper and lower bolts 36 are now re-inserted through the slots 23 and adjacent openings 32, and the nuts 38 are re-applied while the basket is inverted. The entire assembly including the inverted basket is now carried to the opposite side of the ladder, and the assembly is bodily inverted so that the basket is again upright and the brackets 10 and 19 are inverted from their full line position in Figure 1. The arrangement is such, after this has been done, that the brackets may be applied to the left hand side rail as shown in broken lines in Figure 1, and the lower hook-like element 1415 will now be arranged uppermost for engagement 1,221,658 Berry Apr. 3, 1,983,670 Knight Dec. 11, 1934 2,598,479 Wraith May 27, 1952 1 2,674,427 Woodward et a1. Apr, 6, 1954 a side rail having side and edge faces, said support comprising a pair of elongated separate outer and inner' brackets which are L-shaped in cross section, each bracket including a side web and an edge web arranged at right angles to each other, the inner bracket side web having longitudinally spaced openings formed therein, said openings forming transverse end portions and an intermediate transverse portion and inwardly directed hooks at the outer ends of the end portions, said openings passing through the free edge of said inner bracket side web, the end portions and the intermediate portion engaging the inner face of the side rail, the outer bracket side web being provided near its longitudinal center with a pivot opening and near its ends with arcuate slots disposed upon opposite sides of the pivot opening and spaced therefrom in concentric relation, the edge webs of both brackets being provided near their opposite ends with elongated transverse slots, the edge webs being adapted to be arranged in overlapping relation, bolts passing through the elongated slots of the edge webs to adjustably connect them, nuts carried by the bolts, a basket for holding a paint bucket or the like including an upstanding strap, said strap having an intermediate pivot opening and outer openings, a pivot element extending through the pivot openings of the outer bracket side web and strap, ,bolt's passing through the arcuate slots in the outer bracket side web and the outer openings in said strap, and nuts carried by the last named bolts for clamping the strap against the outer bracket side web.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 

